Celebration a beautiful way to honor life

Dia de Los Muertos marked with love, vibrancy

Living in a border community offers us a chance to explore, embrace and appreciate unique cultural experiences. One of the most beautiful here is celebrated over two days, Nov. 1 and 2. Today is Dia de los Inocentes, for infants and children who have been lost, while Nov. 2 is Dia de los Muertos, which honors the adults.

The two-day celebration honors the cycle of life, and remembers and celebrates the memory of loved ones. It’s vibrant, colorful and marked with love and respect.

Families travel to cemeteries, cleaning up their loved ones’ gravesites, and building altars – ofrendas – which they decorate to honor their loved ones. Decorations can include photographs, clothing and food. Some believe that during this celebration, their loved ones can return to Earth for just a day, so altars are intended to welcome them back with a favorite drink or snack.

Dia de los Muertos is synonymous with bright, colorful skulls. Known as Calaveras, the skulls represent departed souls, and often symbolize death.

Marigolds are often incorporated into altars, intended to be a bright trail to guide the souls back to their resting place.

The celebration honors ancestors, with the notion that death is natural – it shouldn’t be feared. The beauty and artistry of this celebration is visually stunning, and alone worth appreciating.

But when one pauses for a moment to listen to the stories that families share, it’s an amazing outpouring of love.

In that tradition, those family members live on, sometimes becoming larger than life through their stories and legends.

This year, Dia de los Muertos may look a little different, thanks to COVID precautions.

However, if you ever have a chance to visit an ofrenda or to take part in a celebration, please pay your respects and do so. It’s a beautiful experience, and a lovely way to remember those who have passed on.